Cancer is a genetic disease. The reason why normal body cells turn into malignant tumor cells with entirely different properties is due to inherited or acquired changes (mutations) in our genes. Hereditary cancer, passed down through genes, accounts for about 5–10% of all cancer cases. In all other cases, cancer develops during a person’s lifetime as a result of the combined effect of various risk factors, and this is called sporadic cancer.
In the normal cell reproduction cycle, the processes that stimulate and inhibit cell growth are strictly regulated and kept in balance. When changes occur in the genes that regulate growth, cancer begins to develop. As the body’s ability to correct these changes decreases with age, the risk of developing cancer rises significantly after the age of 50.
